Latest news with #ICCFCommunityHomes
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Many Kent Co. churches own unused land: Project aims to use it for housing
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A new project aims to tap into a unique resource to add more housing in Kent County: unused land owned by local churches. ICCF Community Homes on Wednesday launched its , a project that aims to raise $12 million to build much-needed affordable housing in Kent County. The project has already received $10 million in commitments, including an anonymous donation that promises to match up to $6 million in funds. The goal is to use those funds to help build 200 homes throughout the Kent County over the next two to five years. $4.2M Grand Rapids project will add housing in mostly-vacant USPS building 'We know our community is in dire need of affordable housing,' ICCF Community Homes CEO Ryan VerWys told News 8. 'As we were thinking about how can we be part of the solution to that need for housing, we recognized that we have great partnerships with churches in our community.' He noted that there's about 700 churches throughout the county, and several of those have extra real estate. One such church is Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church on MLK Jr Street near Union Avenue, which owns several unused lots near its building, senior pastor Darryl Gaddy said. Gaddy moved to Grand Rapids about two and a half years ago to help revitalize the 97-year-old church. Part of that was finding a way to develop that extra property it owns, he said. Through the Building With Faith campaign, ICCF is helping the church work through the pre-development stages. Once complete, the project is expected to build six to 10 housing units for those who are housing insecure, Gaddy said. 'In the church community, every day we having folks coming to us and they are housing insecure, they don't have a place to live,' Gaddy said. 'This is so exciting, because it provides those who are without an opportunity to come into a space where they can be at home.' 'It's just exciting to know … that God would use me to help catalyze a movement with a church that's been in this city and in this community for 97 years,' he later added. 'I'm just a small part of the building blocks of continuing to build a legacy for home ownership and for those in the community who need a safe place to stay, but also that need to be empowered through the spiritual and then the social tools. And so we are excited to work with ICCF in this mission.' Grand Rapids named top 10 housing 'hot spot' going into 2025 Half of the 200 housing units ICCF aims to help create through the project will be rental units built on under-utilized church property, whether that's through building new units or redeveloping existing buildings. The other half with be built for first-time homebuyers, built on land that will include properties donated or acquired from churches. The homes will be built on a land trust, meaning the homebuyers will buy the house, but not the land it sits on. That model both helps keep costs down for homebuyers, and can also control the sale price in the future. 'We are so encouraged by the generosity that we've experienced thus far,' VerWys said. 'We're passionate about addressing that critical need for housing in our community.' Like most of the country, Kent County is in dire need for more housing. A Housing Next housing assessment from 2022 found that the county needed to add 35,000 housing units by 2027. Costs are also skyrocketing to both own or rent a home. According to a data dashboard from Housing Kent, those earning a median wage in Kent County have not been able to afford buying an entry-level home since 2017: An average entry-level home in Kent County requires an income of $62,000, while the area's median annual wage is $42,740. The cost of rent is also rising faster than wages, and a typical apartment costs $1,196 a month, affordable to those making an income of $47,840. Inside Housing crisis in West Michigan 'We know the housing market is hot right now. … If you're renting, you're seeing your rents rise rapidly, your housing is something of insecurity. And we really dream of a time where housing is something that every family can experience a place of security,' VerWys said. 'We're thrilled that the community is coming together around this campaign to add a bunch of much needed affordable housing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local college students give up spring break to give back
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — College students and staff from Grace Christian University spent time over their spring break volunteering to help fix up a home in southwest Grand Rapids. When it's ready, the home will be made available to a family in need who could rent and buy it through . 'We are pulling out carpet, ripping out cabinets, making sure all the flooring is down to the subflooring,' Kyle Bohl, associate vice president of student affairs and athletics at Grace Christian University, said. Racing simulator, indoor pool, 140 apartments: What's next for Fifth Third building in downtown GR The small college in Wyoming has worked with nonprofit ICCF to provide volunteers for years. Senior Jace Sitzema is among the students who have participated. He said it has been a great learning experience. 'Sometimes like plaster is coming down from the ceiling you got to watch out. I've pulled down some cabinets and fell over in front of everyone, stuff like that,' Sitzema said. Getting students to participate over spring break is not as hard as you would think, university leaders said. 'When students find out that we're having a great time listening to fun music, helping with a home demo or maybe doing some patchwork for drywall, students really do come out. They enjoy it,' Bohl said. ICCF Community Homes says the continues to grow. 'We've got between 700 and 800 properties that we rent and we do have homes that we sell. All for low to moderate income, it's all affordable housing. There's a huge waiting list right now,' volunteer and project manager Sheryl Baas said. Volunteers play a crucial role in helping keep ICCF's costs down. 'The cost to rehab a house right now can be anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000, and without volunteers we can't get that kind of work done,' Baas said. With properties in new land bank, Grand Rapids eyes affordable housing options The university hopes that giving up spring break to give back stays with the students. 'We're seeing Gen Z, Gen Alpha, wanting to be part of something bigger than themselves, and so what we're doing is we're giving them an opportunity to be part of a large group effort within the Grand Rapids area to really help homeowners get homeownership at a decent value,' Bohl said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lowell nonprofit plans $3.3M affordable housing project
LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) — A Lowell nonprofit plans to open affordable housing for up to 40 people by next summer. The $3.3 million project is funded by donations to Flat River Outreach Ministries' 'Building Foundations, Building Hope' capital campaign. In total, $2.6 million has already been raised. Construction is expected to begin this summer on three new apartment complexes next to FROM's property on Main Street near S Jefferson Street in Lowell. In the 17 apartments, there will be options for single people and up to four-person families. There will also be green space with a place for gardening and parking. The buildings are set to open in summer 2026, FROM said. The nonprofit's Executive Director Wendie Preiss said the goal of the project is to help ease a housing crisis in Lowell. Housing crisis: Kent County could add 35K homes with this strategy 'The recent growth in our region has been tremendous, but has created an imbalance between supply and demand, leaving many neighbors in our community underhoused. The project is particularly impactful as it will meet immediate needs today while also impacting generations to come,' Preiss wrote in a release. The new housing aims to house people with incomes up to 80% of area medium income, FROM said 'Rent will be affordable while still allowing the buildings to be financially sustainable long term,' the release read. The nonprofit's client services program, which helps people navigating financial challenges, said it has seen an increase in calls and a growing number of people experiencing homelessness, even while employed. 'Homelessness often looks different here in Lowell,' Preiss wrote. 'It's couch surfing, staying with friends or loved ones – or even living in tents in the woods. Families may have to split up or become transient. All of this affects the whole family, destroys hope and has a crippling impact on the fabric of the community.' FROM is working with ICCF Community Homes as construction representative and Eastbrook Homes as general contractor. For more information, visit . To donate, contact FROM Development Director Arianne Hall at 616.897.8260 ext. 135 or . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
